MAITLAND, William Fuller (2 son of Ebenezer Fuller Maitland 1780–1858). b. 10 March 1813; ed. at Trin. coll. Camb., B.A. 1835, M.A. 1839; lived at Stansted, Essex 1842 to death; made a collection of pictures, most of which were exhibited at South Kensington museum after his death, 9 of the best were bought for the National Gallery; lent pictures to the Old Masters’ exhibitions at the R.A. during many years. d. Stansted 15 Feb. 1876. G. H. Rogers-Harrison’s Genealogical account of the Maitland family (1869); Waagen’s Treasures of art, iii 1–7 (1854).
MAJENDIE, Ashurst (eld. son of Lewis Majendie of Hedingham castle, Essex, d. 1833 aged 77). b. London 24 April 1784; ed. at univ. of Edinb.; barrister L.I. 12 June 1809; resided at Penzance 1814–8; one of founders of Geological society of Cornwall 1814; assist. poor law comr. for Sussex, Kent and part of Essex 1832; F.R.S. 28 June 1821; F.S.A. d. Hedingham castle 7 Oct. 1867. Law Journal xliii 440 (1867).
MAJENDIE, Lewis Ashurst (eld. son of rev. Henry Lewis Majendie, V. of Great Dunmow, Essex, d. 1863). b. Great Dunmow 19 May 1835; ed. at Marlborough and Ch. Ch. Oxf., B.A. 1858, M.A. 1860; a student of Lincoln’s inn 1859; M.P. Canterbury, Feb. 1874 to April 1879. d. Hedingham castle, Essex 22 Oct. 1885.
MAJOR, Henry Archibald (son of Mr. Major, compositor, who d. Reading, June 1863). b. One Bell yard, Strand, London 30 Dec. 1828; employed by J. B. Chamberlain, picture dealer 203 High Holborn 1845–8; a letter carrier in Lincoln’s Inn Fields post office 4 Dec. 1848 to June 1876 when granted pension of 14 shillings and 7 pence per week; played Doggrass in Francis Talfourd’s pantomime Black-eyed Susan at Strand theatre 12 weeks from 24 Dec. 1855, also in his own dramas at Grecian theatre 1871–4; known as “The Postman artist of Lincoln’s Inn Fields”; his picture of Grapes and butterflies took first-class prize at Floral hall, Covent Garden 1865; he gained 8 more first-class prizes at picture shows; presented a large painting of fruit worth £50 to King’s college hospital 7 Jany. 1870; exhibited 6 fruit pictures at Suffolk st. gallery 1859–73; lived at 14 Brownlow st. Holborn. J. Diprose’s Parish of St. Clement Danes, ii 65–7 (1876).
Note.—He wrote for the Soho theatre A cure for the gout, farce 1859, and A sketch from the Louvre, farce 1860, for the Grecian theatre 5 farces namely It never rains but it pours 1862, A Rye House plot 1865, The expected general 1870, The man of mystery 1870 and The rural poet 1871, and 4 dramas namely Primrose farm 1871, The blind fiddler 1872, The mystic number 7, 1872, and My pretty Jane 1874, for the Britannia theatre The Ku Klux Klan drama 1873, and for Croydon theatre The lock out 1879; he wrote 7 other dramas and 8 other farces which were not produced; two of his dramas The lock out and The Nondescript, and two of his farces A Jack of both sides and Irish home rule were printed.
MAJOR, James. Called to Irish bar 1818; Q.C. 1 July 1837; resided at Londonderry. d. 1877.
MAJOR, John Richardson (son of John Major). b. London 1797; ed. at Reading sch. and Trin. coll. Camb., scholar; B.A. 1819, M.A. 1827; D.D. 1838; master of Wisbeach gr. sch. 1826–30; head master of King’s coll. sch. London 1830 to July 1866; V. of Wartling, Sussex 1846–51; V. of Arrington, Cambs. 1871 to death; author of Extracts from Virgil and from the Fasti of Ovid 1857, anon.; ed. The journal of the Photographic soc. 1853; re-edited many classical and other school books, about 30 in number 1820–57. d. Twickenham, Middlesex 29 Feb. 1876. Men of the time (1875) 691; Times 9 March 1876 p. 11.
MAJOR, Joshua. b. 1787; landscape gardener at Knostrop near Leeds; assisted in formation of the first Sunday school in Leeds, superintendent many years; author of A treatise on the insects most prevalent on fruit trees and garden produce 1829; The theory and practice of landscape gardening 1852; The ladies’ assistant in the formation of their flower gardens 1861. d. Knostrop 26 Jany. 1866. Taylor’s Biographia Leodiensis (1865) 609; Gardeners’ Chronicle 10 Feb. 1866 p. 128.
MAJOR, Richard Henry (son of Richard Henry Major, surgeon). b. London 3 Oct. 1818; an assistant in department of printed books in British Museum in charge of the maps and charts Jany. 1844, keeper of department of printed maps and plans Jany. 1867, resigned Nov. 1880; hon. sec. to Hakluyt Soc. 1849–58; F.S.A. 25 Jany. 1855; made researches on the early history of Australia 1861 etc.; hon. sec. of Royal geogr. soc. 1861–81, vice pres. 1881–4; knight of the Tower and Sword, of the orders of Santiago, Oct. 1875 and of the Rose of Brazil; knight commander of Crown of Italy, May 1875; edited for the Hakluyt Soc., Select letters of Christopher Columbus 1847, 2 ed. 1870, and 9 other books 1849–58; author of The life of prince Henry of Portugal, surnamed the navigator 1868 and other books. d. 51 Holland road, Kensington 25 June 1891. Cowtan’s Memories of the British Museum (1872) 377–80; I.L.N. 4 July 1891 p. 3, portrait.
MAKELLAR, Angus. b. Argyllshire 1780; D.D. of univ. of Glasgow 1835; presbyterian minister of Carmunnock near Glasgow 1812–4 and of Pencaitland, Haddington 1814–43; moderator of the general assembly 1840; Free ch. minister Pencaitland 1843; chairman of the board of missions, Edinb. Oct. 1843 to death; moderator 1843 and 1852. d. Edinburgh 10 May 1859. Wylie’s Disruption Worthies (1881) 397–404, portrait.